Stitchin’ Heaven Howdy

John came to us a nomination!! One of his awesome followers read our blog and insisted we blog about him…They�were so right, in their nomination. John has an amazing talent for coordinating colors and fabrics….OMG! And he makes purses!!! I’m so excited about that, you just don’t even know!

So, ok, with all this gorgeous color and fashion fabrics you know this is calling for a giveaway…Another one! The last one with Scott Hansen from Blue Nickel Quilts that we featured last week, was a blast and still going….There’s still time to enter for that one! Entries must be received by tomorrow at Midnight CST…So,�click here�place your comment for our giveaway with Scott!! Yes….two contests….What are you waiting for!?

Now, This giveaway with John is only until tomorrow, 5pm CST (March 31st). John is giving away these awesome quilted pillows and we have this cute little package with a breast cancer awareness bag, some notions armour a duckie keychain & a sticky notepad! Just leave a comment�on this post� and at John’s blog to be eligible for the prizes! That’s it! That’s all you have to do to have the chance of being one of two lucky winners! Click here for John’s blog!

Alright, now for our interview! Wish we could do these interviews in person, would love to tour our mens’ studios, sewing rooms, creative spaces…etc….

When did you first begin quilting?  Who taught you?� I first began quilting sometime in late 2007 … only about a year and a half ago� Before that, I had never even touched a sewing machine.� I would say that my wife was my first teacher — she had just gotten the sewing machine herself and was learning how to make both bags and quilts.� Then, for Christmas 2007, she signed us both up for a Beginning Quilting class at one of our local shops, and I was hooked!� (Ironically enough, the hobby didn’t really stick with my wife … so I am now the primary user of our machine!)

Did you have a certain inspiration or need to start quilting?�I would say that it was the variety of designer fabrics that really inspired me to start quilting.� I (very) often believe that I may have missed my calling by not going to design school, and the modern, contemporary prints by fabric designers like Amy Butler, Heather Bailey and Joel Dewberry really drew me in to the craft.� My favorite part of the process is selecting and combining prints, patterns and colors, and selecting the perfect pattern to highlight that combination.

Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby?� No, not at all.� I would definitely consider my mother “crafty”, but knitting has always been her hobby of choice.� In fact, my interest in quilting has actually rubbed off on my mother, and for Mother’s Day 2008, I treated my mother to a Beginning Quilting class at Purl Patchwork in NYC!� She’s dabbling in it now, too.

Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family?� Like so many other quilters that I’ve met, I unfortunately tend to neglect myself and immediate family in favor of quilting for others.� I really love to give homemade items as gifts.� Looking ahead, I’d like to change that — I’d like to make a quilt for each of my three children, and my wife has requested one for our master bedroom, too.� That one would be king-sized … a little overwhelming, to be honest!!

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make?� I started out making very traditional blocks, like the ones found on the Quilter’s Cache website.� I also tapped in to online block swaps and quilt-a-longs like the ones hosted by Amanda Jean at www.crazymomquilts.com for crash courses in cutting, piecing, pinning and ironing.� More recently, with the more traditional blocks under my belt, I’ve been experimenting a lot more with wonky, improvisational, modern blocks, and also with designing blocks myself.

Do you have any “quilt stories”, funny, sentimental etc…? �Still being so relatively new to quilting, I haven’t accumulated too many stories yet, though it’s always funny when the ladies at the quilt shop ask me if I’m shopping for my wife or mother!� Oh, and the very first quilt I made (the one from my aforementioned Beginning Quilting class) was gifted to my grandmother this past Christmas. �That was a very special gift for me to give.

I started out making very traditional blocks, like the ones found on the Quilter’s Cache website.� I also tapped in to online block swaps and quilt-a-longs like the ones hosted by Amanda Jean at www.crazymomquilts.com for crash courses in cutting, piecing, pinning and ironing.� More recently, with the more traditional blocks under my belt, I’ve been experimenting a lot more with wonky, improvisational, modern blocks, and also with designing blocks myself. Still being so relatively new to quilting, I haven’t accumulated too many stories yet, though it’s always funny when the ladies at the quilt shop ask me if I’m shopping for my wife or mother!� Oh, and the very first quilt I made (the one from my aforementioned Beginning Quilting class) was gifted to my grandmother this past Christmas.� That was a very special gift for me to give.

Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters?� Something interesting?� Something quirky? Pet peeves? Anything!� I’m constantly trying to balance my creative pursuits with my roles both as a husband and dad of three kids under age 5 and as an MBA-educated full-time corporate career guy.� Unfortunately, reality dictates that my creative passions sometimes fall to the bottom of the list, but they are what keep me sane and grounded. �I feel that my life has actually become more balanced and healthy since incorporating my quilting hobby.� In some ways, it helps me to keep everything in perspective and provides that much-needed escape!

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting?� More than any particular style of quilting, I think I’m known for being one of the very few male quilters taking part in the active blog and Flickr communities.  At times I am sure it’s a bit of a novelty, but once people see what I’m all about, I think it becomes irrelevant that I’m a guy.� I’ve made some great friends and am constantly inspired to push myself in new directions and try different things.

You can follow John on his blog at http://quiltdad.blogspot.com/ .

Don’t forget the giveaway! Visit John’s blog a Quiltdad!!
To keep up with our blog posts and what we’ve got going on from day to day, look for us on Facebook & Twitter….Don’t forget to sign up for our feed, too, so you can get automatic notices every time we have a new post….Helps you remember without having to remember…:) Good luck, Guys & Gals!

Yes, that’s how they are named. Frank Costa, Ray Steeves & Jeff Car are 3 Dudes! These 3 men have a great story of how they just took up quilting and decided to open a store!

Jeff and Frank took basic quilting classes from Margaret Baker at the Quilter’s Bee and got hooked on quilting.� From the first class there was talk of opening a Quilt Shop.� Jeff and Frank taught the third dude, Ray how to quilt and the three were on the way be becoming serious, dedicated quilters, and the proud owners of 3 Dudes Quilting.

Imagine a 400 square foot sewing room with 3 machines, custom ironing board, cutting table, design wall, all the storage you could want, and a twelve foot short arm quilting frame and 2 of your best friends. Well, that’s what these three are privileged to have! With quilting experience ranging from intermediate to prize winning the three have made about 20 bed quilts and over 30 quilt tops! Jeff is the award winning quilter who won at last year’s quilting show in Phoenix. Ray is a full time nurse who considers himself� an intermediate quilter who currently has one of his quilts displayed at the local hospital he works at. Frank is a retired chef who also, considers himself an intermediate quilter who tends to like the classic traditional quilts and when visiting their shop you can enjoy cookies and muffins especially for you by Frank! The purpose of these three wonderful men opening shop in Arizona is not only to do what they enjoy & share with others who share the same passion, but to create a retreat where customers want to wake up and go straight to 3 Dudes Quilting shop where they hope you’ll stay awhile, enjoy each other’s company and talk about this common interest.

3 Dudes, aside from running the shop and quilting, also breed and show miniature poodles!

You can visit these inspiring men at their website or next time you’re in the Phoenix area, make sure you stop by and tell them we sent you!

Thanks, guys….errr…dudes for letting us into your lives!

Ernie found us in our hunt for male quilters. He wrote in saying that him mom asked him to write in about his quilting…..Go, Mom! I see Ernie as a quiet and meek person who is proud of what he creates, yet modest, at the same time….Ernie has created adorable recreations of objects in the form of quilting, such as a book shelf and soccer ball! Just adorable stuff!

Ernie shared some great pictures of his art in quilting and a little bit about himself in our handy dandy interview! We are so glad he shared!

When did you first begin quilting? 2004

Who taught you? Self taught, inspired by my mother

Did you have a certain inspiration or need to start quilting? Wanted to make personalized gifts for friends and family

Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby? My mother has quilted as long as I can remember. For me it is only a way for me to express my thanks and appreciation for friends and family.

Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family? Friends and Family, whimsical and personalized for individuals likes and hobbies.

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make? Aspects of the person’s �likes dictate this, but applique is by far my favorite approach to quilting.

Do you have any quilt stories, funny, sentimental etc.? My 1st quilt was a Christmas gift for my step daughter since it has become a keep sake for her mother.

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting? Applique that reflects the likes and personality of the person receiving the quilt.

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Friends of Mr. Pinkoski, Jim & Bob are also members of QuiltGuy! The story of these two is pretty amazing….I thought I could put it into my own words, but I’ll let them tell you…Their story comes directly from their website….

It all started when Bob and Jim moved to Woodstock, New York in 1994.

Having decorated walls of their new home with quilts from Jim’s family, they set out to make a quilt for an empty wall in the great room � “How hard can it be to make a quilt?” they said. The rest is�history…Bob and Jim became hooked on quilting. They joined their local quilt guild after attending their first quilt show, subscribed to every quilting magazine known, and became obsessed as only quilters can be!

Woodstock Quilt Supply’s First Home

Four years later, in 1998, Woodstock Quilt Supply was incorporated.

After years of research and savings from their jobs in Manhattan, Bob and Jim officially� opened Woodstock Quilt Supply July 2001. Five months later, the unexpected happened � Bob and Jim were awakened by their landlord the morning they were to depart for the Christmas holidays with Jim’s family in Alabama. A fire was burning in their store! The overwhelming response from family, friends, and customers during this tragedy led Bob and Jim to decide that they had to reopen.

Woodstock Quilt Supply’s Rise From the Ashes
Fortunately for Bob and Jim, a building from the mid 1800’s was under renovation and became available in May of 2002. June 1, 2002 Woodstock Quilt Supply reopened!Although only a block or two from the first store, the present location is a world apart. Nearer to the center of town, it is easier to find and is closer to other stores and restaurants. Triple the size of the old store, we have two classrooms, one of which doubles as Jim’s woodworking studio when we need more shelving.
We now vend at regional quilt shows, participate in a shop hop, and continue to grow in the store, on the web, and we hope, in your hearts!

Isn’t that a great story?! We still sent them our questionnaire, but like their story best…Although, they did share that they are known for taking traditional blocks and making contemporary designs. Their Saturday Samplers are always an original design as are several of their store patterns!

Please show some love and check them out at their website! www.quiltstock.com!

We’ve been on the hunt for some male quilters and so far have had some awesome quilters! So, when Scott emailed to let us know he is a male and a quilter, well, we had to check him out! I went over to his blog, Blue Nickel Studios, and was pretty impressed! Scott and his wife Linda, who is a doll maker, have 3 children and through her blog she tells of how they bought a couple of acres in rural Washington in 1992 and since then have built their dream of owning a vintage clothing shop, which they did for 5 years….In her blog she tells about the woman who lived there and raised her children….Very neat story….go check her out, her blog is named after the same woman…Anywho, Scott’s blog opens to a banner pieced with the name of his studio spelled out! So, I go through his gallery and his projects to find some the neatest stuff! Scott hosted a Tootsie Pop mini quilt challenge this past summer and you’ll love what the challengers came up with using the candy wrappers. Such a great project for children!! ‘Cause just in case you don’t have any empty wrappers, that means you get to buy them and eat them so you do have empty wrappers…Perfect & yummy!

Not only is Scott’s blog way too much fun to look at, he’s also doing a contest! Yes, a contest in honor of his recognition in our blog! Since, he is doing that we thought, well, we wanna do it, too! So, we are also doing a contest on our site!

Here’s how it’s going to work: Scott has made the announcement on his blog regarding the giveway, you will need to go there and answer a question as a comment on his blog. He will randomly draw from those comments to select the winner of a fabulous goodie bag of 10″ squares from current designers & some other great stuff, see? ( pictured to right)! Now, to be in the running for our giveaway we want you to comment here in regards to our post on Scott and feel free to also, tell us about yourself, your quilting inspiration or anything you wish to share in relation to male quilters (in honor of month of men)….We love to hear from you!! We will also, select a random winner who will receive an original Stitchin’ Heaven pattern a fat quarter & charm pack (also pictured) from Collections for a Cause – Heritage. Get your comments posted by� and we will announce the winners.

Alrighty, now for our honorary guest….Mr. Scott Hansen. Scott has really been a pleasure to work with in doing this post. I know you will enjoy his interview & awesome pictures!

When did you first begin quilting? My first quilt was made in the mid to late 70’s I was about 14 or so at the time.� It is VERY heavy (did we use a lead blanket for batting?) and hand tied, and pretty darn ugly in hindsight, some lime green fake fur was in it that should have been a sign for the future.� Who taught you?� My mom hadn’t made a quilt that I know of, but she did sew a lot, and that is where I learned to sew�I started quilting again in the early 90’s
Did you have a certain inspiration or need to start quilting? Well that first quilt, I just wanted to be creative.� When I picked it up again in the 90’s, I had wanted to make a lap quilt for my Grandma at the home.� So I started with templates, and some pattern. I have no idea where I got the pattern, but I do remember it was Card Trick in dusty blues and pinks and lavenders (this was the tale end of the 80’s still fabric wise) Now I quilt from the great inner need to create!
Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby? My family didn’t make quilts that I know of at all, I do have two quilt tops made from wool suit samples that my great grandmother made…my great step-grandpa had been a tailor in Alaska for a time.
Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family? Yes, I quilt for many reasons, now.� My first quilt that I remember after my grandmother’s lap quilt was organizing a sampler quilt for my sister’s wedding. Her new mother-in-law was from Oklahoma, and they have a very long history of quilting in that family, so they hand quilted it.� Then I started making quilts for babies.� A LOT of baby quilts I have made can’t keep track of them all.� Our oldest son just turned 16 and the points on his baby quilt do not match at ALL!� I thought I was using a� � inch foot, now I know better.� Then I started making quilts for a friend’s books as a test quilter.� I have been in about 4 or 5 of Sara Nephew’s books now, and hope to have my own someday in the near future.� Lately I have been having great fun working with Free Spirit Fabrics designing quilts for their emerging lines.� That has been such a blast!� I have had one of my patterns published in Mark Lipinski’s Quilter’s Home magazine last year ( I must interject here that Mark Lipinski has been a great encourager in these publishing endeavors), and I have one due out in Fons and Porters Easy Quilts (fall edition, I believe) this year.� I hope to have even more quilt designs out there soon.� What is your favorite type of quilt block to make? This is hard, because I do a lot of sketching on graph paper, and sometimes I don’t even know what I am making .I seem to have a traditional blend in what I draw out.� But if I had to pick ONE block, I really do like Farmer’s Daughter and I haven’t made one of those for awhile.so I better get on it, and work one of those into my next design.
Do you have any quilt stories, funny, sentimental etc.? You know, I love to read, but I am a terrible story teller, I am better at quick anecdotes I am only funny when I don’t really know it ..I can be very sentimental though. So, here is� a sentimental one…. to me at least.

I was at Quilt Market last spring in Portland, Oregon, and was pretty much overwhelmed by all the activity.� Saturday in the morning I got to meet Kaffe Fassett and talk with him a little (the quilt I had there for Sara’s book was all his fabrics.and he LIKED it!) that was great, and then later that afternoon I went around introducing myself to people, and was feeling pretty much out of place completely like who is this guy? Then on Sunday I went around with Marci Baker who now publishes Sara Nephew’s books and will be helping me with mine soon, and I felt completely 100% more confident.� As I was rushing to the train I actually stopped to talk to a couple of designers on the way out.� I believe I talked with Tina Givens briefly and then Amy Butler I actually talked to Amy Butler! The princess of the new generation of quilter! And she was SO nice and pleasant.� Here is what she said to me when I was spouting off my hopes and dreams like a star-struck school boy “Go For It!” and the way she said it still encourages me to this day even when I feel discouraged that no one will ever like what I do again I remember what she said �Certainly other things encourage me, but I really cling to the way that Amy said it.� God Bless Amy Butler! Since then I have been meeting other designers (via email none face to face since then) and they sure are a wonderful genre of peoplethe Creativity out there is truly incredible.�� Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters?� About me? Or about quilting? About me, come visit my blogsite www.bluenickelstudios.com I love comments there! About quilting?� Two things, make sure you know you are using a quarter inch foot, and when you make a mistake either try fixing it a couple times or work around it. Don’t stress about it, it really isn’t worth it.� Something interesting? �The name of my studio endeavor is Blue Nickel Studios, but my favorite color is really red, blue would probably be # 4 or #5 on the list.� Something quirky? �My wife thinks I have more shoes than she does but I don’t think so,�she just doesn’t wear her pumps and such now that she is a country girl. I like to change my hair style a lot, at least in the past I did. I get bored very easily, meaning likewise that I am probably pretty easily entertained..Pet peeves?� Nothing really bugs me more than when people are not sincere, I would rather you be direct even if it hurts than being nice to my face and talking behind my back and sometimes people can be sincere, but not seem that way, so that is something that I really probably need to let go of.� Anything!� My wife and I have been invited to create a doll for the Houston International Quilt Festival this year. My wife’s site is www.missmabelstudio.com if you want to find out more about it. �We are working on a frog prince type doll..Linda, my wife is the doll maker, I just help with some of the details.

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting?� This is a funny question to me.� When I really started going nuts on quilting in 1995 or so, I was all over the brown/plaid/primitive/country look and no one who has met me recently thinks of my quilting as that anymore.� Now I am known, I think, for traditionally based blocks with wild and busy colors.  I am definitely a scrappy quilter.� I like a lot going on at once just look at any of my three desks and you will see that.

Scott’s a lot of fun! If you make it out to Houston International Quilt Market this year, be sure to�look for�their doll! I know I will! I can definately relate to his Amy Butler story…OMG! I was just a giddy when I met her in Houston last year…She is a very humble, sweet�person!!

So, hurry, hurry! Place your comments and get on over to Scott’s blog! The deadline to comment is 12am CST March 31st! We’ll Post the winner on April 1st…Yes, April Fool’s day, except it won’t be a trick or a joke!

When Jim wrote into us for our Tribute to Male Quilters, he introduced himself as a member of the Yahoo group QuiltGuy, in which Mr. Pinkoski is a member, and as, not just a quilter, but a teacher and a previous shop owner. I knew we had to feature him. How could he not have a lot to say or stories to tell….

Jim told us about a funny story he experience from when at AQS in Paducah. He had gone into the AQS book booth at the show, put two books on the counter to purchase and the lady told him “If you know someone who is a member of AQS, they can get you 20% off on these books”. He held up his wristband and asked “If I was a member of AQS, could I get 20% on the books?”. I guess she assumed since he was a “he”, he wasn’t a quilter….Just proves how so many people still view quilting as a hobby celebrated by just women….Aren’t we so glad it’s not!?

Jim is interviewing with us from California! Ahhh! His quilts are beautiful and his color choices are wonderful. We’re happy to have the opportunity to recognize him.

When did you first begin quilting? Who taught you?

I started in 1997. I took a class called Beginning with Bev. Bev Stookey has probably taught half of the San Francisco Bay area how to quilt!

Did you have a certain inspiration or need t start quilting?

I got started because a friend of mine asked me if could fix her quilt. I wasn’t sure as the quilt was very badly sun damaged. So, i found a class on care and restoration of your antique quilts, taught by Diane Leone at the Eddies Quilting bee (Eddie is her son). My friend sent both of us to the class and found out that the quilt was beyond repair. The fabric was so damaged that just breathing on it would cause it to shatter int tiny little shards….But, I found a new home!

Is quilting something that has been a family tradition/hobby?

No. I had been doing needlework for years. I learned how to crochet from a babysitter when I was about 7 or 8 and have been doing crochet, needlepoint, embroidery, etc., pretty much everything except for knitting, until 1997!
Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family?

I quilt for myself,some family, but mostly for friends! I make baby quilts for all the new mothers int he office; I make quilts for charity, for classes and to keep myself out of trouble.

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make?

Just about anything with complex piecing involved in it. I love feathered stars, lone stars, mariner’s compasses & paper piecing. I avoid applique like the plaque.

Do you have any “quilt stories”, funny, sentimental, etc….?

Many more than I relate here. Being a male quilter has it’s challenges. For example, quilt store owners never quite know what to do with me when I walk into their shop unaccompanied. When I was visiting a friend in Australia, she used to let me go into the shop ahead of her just so she could watch the clerks try to figure out why I was there. In one shop, I remarked to my friend Duane, I like the Ohio Star quilt with the trapuntoed feathered border. I turned around and there was a young lady staring at me with her mouth on the floor.

Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters?

I like to encourage my students to push their limits and try something that they’ve never done. Maude (from Harold & Maude) always said that you have to go for the new experience every day! Something I believe in wholeheartedly. I did a block of the month program based on Judy Martin’s Star software. It was a LeMoyne Star of LeMoyne Stars quilt.

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting?

I really love log cabins and am known for those types of quilts. You can see the courthouse steps quilt. (right)The quilt center came from Mary Ellen Hopkins’ Log Cabin Notebook, but the border is my design. My students always said that it looks like a Navajo Blanket.

We really had a lot of fun, interviewing with Mr. Hahn! He’s done some beautiful work and so glad he was willing to share! Don’t forget to let him know what you think…Oh! And we still have room for more. So, if you know a male quilter or are a male quilter and would like to be featured in our blog. Please let us know! Also, don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and twitter and of course add our blog to your favorites!

Talk to ya’ll soon!

Come on…admit it….when you first see this blonde, long haired man, you don’t immediately think quilter. To the contrary, Tristan Robin Blakeman is more than just a traditional quilter, he’s a traditional ART quilter. With quilts consisting of Mariner’s stars and memory quilts. Tristan can turn any photo into a quilt masterpiece. Tristan says that “there was a point when I decided I would make quilts for beds…it was a point that didn’t last very long!It was something that really didn’t hold my interest!”

In our interview with Tristan he reveals how in desperate need of a quilt for a production he was directing, is what officially inspired him and made quilting his new passion. In his years prior to quilting, 30 years were spent in theatre as a director, actor and costume & set designer. He’s one cool character! We tagged him down and sent our trusty questionnaire and here’s what we got!

Who do you quilt for? Yourself, friends or family?

Certainly friends and family. I actually don’t have a single quilt of my own hanging or in use. As a full time artist, most of the work I do is for sale. My spouse jokes that I can’t afford my work. LOL

What is your favorite type of quilt block to make?

My favorite is whatever I’m working on at the moment. I do like piecing that involves long skinny spikes , and I get a real sense of satisfaction out of getting those points crisp and neat. Frankly, I’m not a quilt mavis� and I don’t care if the points don’t come out perfectly every time� I use them anyway. But when they are perfect, I get a special sense of reward.

Do you have any �quilt stories, funny, sentimental etc.?

I suppose like most male quilters, I’ve had my share of amusement from people who can’t believe that I make quilts. Not just because I’m male, but I don’t really look like somebody – male or female� who would spend his time at a sewing machine! My first experience with this was when I first started shopping for a quilt I was planning – yes, this was before I knew about stash building and only bought what I was going to use. What an absurd concept, huh?! I was trying to decide between a few different fabrics when this older woman customer asked me why I didn’t get help from a woman. I said that since I was going to make the quilt, I thought I should be the one to choose the way it was going to look. She peered down her nose somewhat and sniffed, “Real men don’t make quilts. I mean, really!, she said that! I was somewhat taken aback. I didn’t really know what to say. So I did the only thing I could do. I made my first series of art quilts with the omnibus title “Real Men Don’t Make Quilts.” These quilts became the first of my quilts that received any kind of attention and several quilt shows requested that I exhibit with them. How new was I to this? I didn’t even know about hanging sleeves! So, even though that rather unpleasant lady did something to me that is rarely possible (struck me speechless), I will always kinda be thankful for the path she shoved me onto!

Is there anything that you would like to share with other quilters? Something interesting? Something quirky? Pet peeves? Anything!

The one thing which has given me the most joy about being involved in the quilting making world is the people. I have met some of the most wonderful, kind, generous, funny, clever, talented, caring and energetic people I’ve ever know since I first started making quilts. The majority of quilt makers and quilt artists are just the best� and the ones I count as my friends, I genuinely cherish. Pet peeves? You mean besides the quilt police? I guess the most aggravating pet peeve I have is the idea that in order to be “relevant” in the art quilt world, some feel you need to use a dozen or so techniques on every piece you create. So far, I’ve fairly well stuck with cutting and sewing. I know that’s passe� but, hey! what can I say?!

Are you known for anything or any style of quilting?

I think that probably I’m best known for my Blizzard Series� quilts (which have numbered in the dozens now). They’re fairly distinctive at least people always say they can pick out my quilts in a room or gallery full of artists works. I find that encouraging. However, I really think that it’s my somewhat bizarre and quirky sense of color that is most striking. I also believe that some circles consider my style of quilting to be political quilts. Of course, LOL, those are only exhibited in shows with political themes, so many people don’t know about them!

Pretty neat, huh? We are having so much fun and learning a new appreciation toward quilting…It’s not just a hobby your grandmother does anymore! We have so many more male quilters to share you with you this month and encourage you all to let us know where you’re at and give your story! Don’t forget to show these quilters some love!

My Aunt Charlotte of Charleston, West Virginia is my absolutely, positively, beyond-a-doubt, favorite aunt. She reminds me of Auntie Mame in the Broadway show. I’m spending March with Aunt Charlotte, and it is sure to be memorable! I’m putting the finishing touches on a new bag to take to her as a hostess gift. Isn’t this bag “Simply Bowdacious”? I’m using these two fabrics from Moda’s “9″ line designed by artist Sanae. The colors and designs just say “Aunt Charlotte” to me…quirky, unexpected, a little traditional, fun!

I love these new fabrics, so I will make a purse for me from some of the coordinating fabrics. This fun bag pattern comes with a little pattern for your PDa or Blackberry or I-phone. Aunt Charlotte does not have time to “fret over learning a new-fangled gadget”, but she will keep me busy making and receiving calls for her! LOL We will be going to the Blennerhasset Island Historical State Park for the Fifth Annual Mid-Ohio Valley Heritage Quilt Show. Aunt Charlotte insists that we are very distantly related to the eccentric Irish aristocrat who built the lavish mansion on an island in the wilderness in 1798. I don’t know about genetic kinship, but Aunt Charlotte definitely has that eccentricity going for her. Aunt Charlotte and I will spend the month driving to the studios of various quilt artists and designers who live in picturesque West Virginia, like Fran Kordek, Patti Anderson, Sally Rowe, Judy Lilly and so many other talented women!

** It is too early for the Mountain Quilting Shop Hop in West Virginia, but we’ll have no problem filling the van with fabric and patterns as we visit many quilt shops in our ramblings through the state. March is going to be “Simply Bowdacious”! Send me a picture of your Simply Bowdacious bag or last month’s super oversized reversible tote! I’d love to show your work right here! And what is our motto, girls? “Never enough shoes; Never enough purses or bags!”

-Perse Anality

So, last week was so fun for us & those of you who got to join us for our retreat with Eleanor Burns! She came in on Wednesday and left us on Saturday, although the retreat ladies stayed out at the center until Sunday! We had our Death by Chocolate on Thursday, book signing on Friday & our big giveaway on Saturday….We had so many prizes to give away, it felt like it would never end! Lily who had won our grand prize, Boston Commons quilt also won another finsihed quilt…Lucky!

This was my first experience with Eleanor, yes, it was! I hadn’t even seen her show before. All I knew was she was a big time quilter, she was known for throwing her scraps behind her and that just about anyone who quilts, knows who she is!!Well, let me tell you….I am so glad I had the oppotunity to meet her! She is so humble and sweet and definately an entertainer! Watching her float around the store like a little social butterfly and the look on her face when I just about gasped when I introduced myself to her, almost like “this fuss is for me?”, kinda look…I’m sure though, that she knows she’s someone special!

I have to tell you a funny story….So, when I first came to work at Stitchin’ Heaven I had no prior quilting or even sewing experience, unless you count sewing a button….So, I had no clue who Eleanor Burns was…A customer of ours, (Linda Kemp) came in to pick up one of her Blocks of the Month and I asked her name, guess she thought I meant the Block of the Month, and she tells me Eleanor Burns…I go to the back and look through the files…Find nothing….Then I go to our computer system and type it in and see that she lives in California…So, I’m thinking why is she picking up here, in texas? So, I then decide I should ask someone…LOL I did and my co worker laughed so hard before she could catch her breath and tell me who Eleanor Burns was….So, to this day that’s mine & Linda’s “thing” I call her Mrs. Burns!

She pulled out her feather boa and gave us a “strip” tease, she did a couple of “magic” stricks for us from her new book Day & Night and performed demos on a few of our audience members! Everyone seemed to have had so much fun! Wish we could’ve kept her!

So, guess who picks up all the scraps she throws over her shoulder? She does! Then they bag ‘em up & sell ‘em! So, next time you are in her shop, just think, the scrap baggies, may have had their appearance on her show!!
Thought we’d share some pictures from when she was here! Hope you enjoy them! We’d love to hear your Eleanor experiences or stories or just what ya think!

BTW….Patchwork Party Spring 2009 just started this week, if you don’t know what it is or haven’t joined yet..Hurry! Hurry! The finishing kits are awesome….I have a couple of favorites (can I do that?) And….the month of men is going over so well! I need to hurry with my posts! I will feature 3 more this week and think I have one for every day next week! I still have room, though, if you want to nominate someone or yourself!!

We have such good times!

Talk to ya soon!

Niki

Patchwork Party 2009 Spring Edition is here!

We’re so excited that Patchwork Party is beginning … again. Just in case you aren’t familiar with Patchwork Party, let me tell you a little about it.  Several years ago, Debby had this wonderful idea of combining 12 shops with Marti Michell and forming a cyber shop hop. From that idea, Deb picked a fabric line, for which Marti Michell designed 12 blocks, then she found 12 wonderful quilt shops. Each shop is assigned one block, and each one designs a quilt using the full set of 12 blocks.

This is our 6th party, and we’re still going strong! This time, the fabrics are from Marcus Fabrics and designed by Faye Burgos. Sachet Potpourri is a scrumptious fabric line of with lots of soft pastels and a chocolaty brown.

The blocks are all still $7 including shipping (inside the contiguous US), and you get to collect all 12 blocks from the 12 different stores, then pick out your finishing kit from the beautiful selection. Our block is the Friendship Card this time, and our finishing kit is the beautiful Rose Sachet. Deb designed this quilt keeping in mind that everyone is short on time lately, and we all need something we can finish in a weekend.  Rose Sachet is one of those! Once you finish your blocks, this quilt will go together in a jiffy, and leave you with this beautiful reward. Check out our Patchwork Party Page where we’ve got our block and finishing kit listed along with some great extras for you to enjoy.
Well, we hope you will join us for the party. It’s a lot of fun, and everyone has been looking forward to this one. So, we ask … What do you get when you combine 12 wonderful quilt shops, 12 beautiful patchwork blocks, and one gorgeous fabric line??? You get a Patchwork Party!

Stop by the official Patchwork Party 2009 website at www.patchworkparty2009.com, and check out all 12 shops, their blocks, and their finishing kits. Then, be ready. The party kicks off on Sunday, March 15th.

If you have joined in one of our Patchwork Parties before, let us know. We want to hear what you think. Post your comments, and let us know.

See you at the party!